There’s one other caveat to the system. If Wolf, the lead character, falls during battle the game abruptly ends with a game over screen. The trick to battles is controlling "hate" an unseen statistic similar to aggro in MMORPGs. Enrage a monster by clonking it with a special attack and it will target you. Perhaps, with a strike strong enough to kill a character in a single hit.

So, if your strongest attack doesn’t finish an enemy off it might be curtains for one of your characters. You might want to spread the damage around with weaker attacks before using your skills with cut-in attacks, these tend to be the most powerful. Unfortunately, for your party the Savi Shantie counterattack at full force even when near death.

Back in my day, hate was simply called “hate” and aggro referred to getting the enemy’s attention when running around the field.

In other words, your summary on the front page did nothing but confuse me.

Barrit

Hm, I wonder if it’s an MMO thing. Hate and aggro have always seemed interchangeable, but I played MMOs since Ultima Online.

Ereek

Possibly. It likely depends on which you’ve played.

http://thrust-the-sky.deviantart.com/ WildArms

It is still refered as that, is just that here it is being called “hate” because that is how it seems to be called in japanese… I wonder how it is said on japan when it comes to those kind of stuff?

Ereek

No, I actually like it called hate. I prefer it that way. Spencer’s “aggro” comment is what confused me.

http://thrust-the-sky.deviantart.com/ WildArms

Oh ok, well i look it is like a way for people to grasp the meaning better… In the other aggro/hate post, he was saying that when you hit a monster with a strong attack, the monster will change it’s target to you, so i was thinking it was pretty close to what aggro is

http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/GJD6KMPFMNNIHFKRN6FI76P5KA Allison

Back in MY day, ‘aggro’ meant decks designed to kill the opponent fast! Course then them newfangled spells like Pacifism came out and ruined all the fun.

http://thrust-the-sky.deviantart.com/ WildArms

I still wonder how much these deads will affect the story :0

http://talesattbokmph.wordpress.com/ Setsuryuu

Me too. Maybe it doesn’t affect at all? All the relevant characters are either ineligeble to fight or becomes “for this battle, if character A dies alongside with Wolf is also game over” or does the permadeath actually will leave holes in the full plot? So much mystery…

http://twitter.com/Mfufufu Eri

I hope it will actually leave holes in the plot. But I assume that another character will take there place in giving any truly crucial information.

http://honorless.net honorless

Dude’s like “JOSHUA, BEHIND YOU” and he just stands there “…eh?” then slooooowly turns completely around as if he has absolutely no idea what Wolf could be so alarmed about. Despite pointing a weapon at the thing less than a minute ago, and ostensibly almost getting his butt kicked by it before that.

Edit: Why I wrote “Lance” before, I really have no idea. I blame a lack of sleep.

joesz

ok.I’ll make sure that her little brother dies first for being annoying.

karasuKumo

Nice, so instead of going in with your strongest skills first you have to time when to use them. I love a challenge! ^^

http://thrust-the-sky.deviantart.com/ WildArms

I actually forgot to watch the video after reading/commenting, love the music xD

I like the perma-death system, like they did with Venus & Braves, it makes you value your moments/battles together with each character you like( or maybe dislike) even more, it also forces you to choose each action carefully as it could decide the fate of one of your companions…DEAD OR ALIVE !

this looks quite promising!This is shaping up to be one hell of a tragic story…
btw the music in this trailer and in the end of the “meet the Character of Tales of the Last Promise” trailer is so awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/B4ULoveShine Tim_at_where

The Aggro system makes players use their brains, and I like that.

Jirin

Game companies are finally learning: There’s nothing gamers like better than MC death insta-gameover. Notice how they’re always clamoring for it on internet forums.

The only thing they like better than MC death insta-gameover is SRPGs where you have to protect guest characters with bad AI.

Exkaiser

Kind of sounds like someone has walked into SMT’s instant death monsters unprepared.

I don’t mind MC death gameovers. I mean, he’d be permanently dead anyways, and then you’d just have no more protagonist.

Jirin

Let’s just say I’ve gotten my MC raged in Persona 3 a few times.

It does make a lot more sense in an instant perma-death game than in a game with revive items.

http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/GJD6KMPFMNNIHFKRN6FI76P5KA Allison

At least in Persona 3 it’s somewhat justified because of Nyx, in Persona 4 there really isn’t any reason. One thing I liked about .Hack G.U, if your character dies it isn’t game over. Of course it might as well be since the AI controlled allies aren’t exactly bright but at least they have a chance to revive you.

http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/GJD6KMPFMNNIHFKRN6FI76P5KA Allison

It’s cool that they have permanent death for the other characters but I HATE game overs if the MC dies. So why do they keep doing it over and over, even in games where there’s a theoretical chance that another character could revive them?

http://strictlyapathy.comoj.com/ SoulArbiter

I can appreciate games that require you to think for yourself and furthermore; forces you to accept the consequences of your actions. In the case of this game, it’s permadeath. Bring on the challenge!

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